Bimetallic MOF ratio fluorescent probe for tetracycline detection, afterglow characterization and its fingerprinting study

Herein, a simple wet-milling synthesis method is reported for the production of Eu/Tb-based bimetallic-organic frameworks (Eu/Tb-MOFs). The introduction of the ligand 2, 5-dibromoterephthalic acid significantly turned on the characteristic fluorescence of the Eu/Tb-MOF at 620 nm through the “antenna effect”. The material was used as a fluorescent probe to detect tetracycline. In the presence of tetracycline, the fluorescence emission of Eu/Tb-MOF was dramatically turned off, allowing ratiometric fluorescence quantification of tetracycline. In addition, the combination of Eu/Tb-MOF with hydrogel can observe the afterglow property, which lays the foundation for the application in the field of anti-counterfeiting. Finally, Eu/Tb-MOF as a multifunctional fluorescent probe can also be used for fingerprint identification.